


I Could Dance With You

by Byrde



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe - Victorian, Hylian Prince Sidon, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Mute Link, Romantic Fluff, Victorian
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-05 07:55:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15166106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Byrde/pseuds/Byrde
Summary: Link's father wants to marry off his children, but Link is too shy to approach any suitors.





	1. Sleepyhead

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off a dream that I had one time, it's been burning a hole in my skull so I had to put in into words. Basically, this story going to be a fluffy period piece where boys work through their insecurities. Or at least that's the goal. I'm going to be as accurate as I can with the Victorian AU, but I'm constantly learning so if I mess up let me know! It's my first work on here so please be kind. 
> 
> Note: I know that sign language uses a different syntax and vocabulary that spoken language. For the purpose of simplicity of reading/writing, all sign language will be translated into spoken English and will be in italics.
> 
> The plan is to upload every Wednesday until the story is finished. Let me know what you think!

As he slowly awoke, Link brushed the blond locks out of his eyes in mild annoyance, slowly rolling onto his side. The yellow morning sun was barely peeking into the window, painting fingers of light that stretched across the dull carpet. It was far too early to get out of bed, however his father, Lord of Central Hyrule, claimed that there were many important guests arriving at their home today. Link knew that meant there would be potential suitors visiting, and he knew he and his sisters were expected to meet with them.

What a bore.

Link had only turned 18 a few months prior and still had little knowledge of courtship. The idea did not please him. Thus far, he had not met anyone who caught his fancy; even if he did, he doubted they would fancy him in return. Although still very young, Link was sure this meant he was going to be alone forever. He wished somedays that he could just live his life alone as a hermit.

“Link, wake up!” a soft voice prompted. Grunting in response, Link opened his eyes to see Zelda’s irritated face, urging him to leave his bed more quickly. “You know we’re having guests today, and father wants us to greet them when they arrive.” Of course he knew this, but Link wanted nothing more than to stay in the comforts of his bed and ignore the irritating new people that were to visit them.

 _I don’t want to_ Link signed. _I doubt any of them will be of interested._ Zelda’s face softened a little. She knew that this was Link’s way of expressing his fears, although he would never admit it to anyone.

Perhaps he could stay in bed today were it not for the fact that Link’s father was dead set on marrying off his children as quickly as possible. It seemed as though these days Lord Hyrule was simply grasping at straws, inviting any and all bachelors and bachelorettes on the continent to their castle. However, Link didn’t understand why his father had so many children if he was just going to marry them off as soon as he could. Link was the youngest of 7, along with his twin sister Zelda. Only three of these siblings had been married off, and the Lord could not be more displeased. Along with Link and Zelda, Aliza and Traysi had been yet to find a spouse, and being even older than the twins, they were in a hurry to find a suitable partner.

“Come on, sleepyhead, or father will skin us both.”

 _Fine._ Link flung his feet over the side of his bed and accepted his fate. He would have to do this today.

Zelda had insisting on helping him choose his clothes, quickly piled the finest linens in Link’s closet onto his wooden bedframe. After trying on a few different outfits, Zelda decided Link should wear his silken green suit with the high collar. He chose the black vest and tie for himself and finished it all off with the most crisp collared white shirt he could find. Zelda insisted he looked dashing in it and would surely find a worthy suitor within the day.

“Look how bright it’s gotten outside!” Zelda exclaimed. “We’re going to be late!” She quickly grasped Link’s wrist and hurried them out the door, through the hallway, to the long staircase leading to the ground floor. “Aren’t you a little excited? To meet so many new people today, I mean.”

Link shook his head. Zelda could afford to say such things; she was always surrounded by people who begged for her attention. Her entire presence and being was regal in a way that he couldn’t describe, and people were attracted to her like moths to a flame. When they were children, she was so charming at times that she could only escape the company of other people by shutting herself into her room and locking the door. Undeniably, she was beautiful and had a great personality to boot, but that wouldn’t stop Link from teasing her about being an angry shrew. 

He was certain that Zelda would have masses of people flocking to make her acquaintance in the coming day.

Reaching the end of the curving oak stairs, Link looked shyly over at Zelda, hoping she would give him some strength. However, she continued to walk to where their father was standing. Link would have to find his own courage. In truth, Link hated events like this mostly because of how shy and nervous he was around strangers; it was only made worse by his inability to speak, as many of the potential suitors did not understand signed-language. Inevitably, Link felt that he would end up in the corner by himself not communicating with anyone for hours. He shuffled his feet across the deep maroon carpet to join his father and sister. 

“Glad to see that you could both join us,” Lord Hyrule commented with a chuckle, knowing all too well the tendency of the twins to be late. Both Aliza and Traysi had made it here before them, although Aliza still looked half asleep.

“Sorry father, somebody tried to sleep in this morning,” Zelda mumbled. Traysi smirked, but continued to look straight forward. Link’s face flushed, and he shot Zelda a nasty look for calling him out like that.

“I am not surprised,” quipped the Lord. He must have been in a good mood this morning if he was not scolding or punishing Link for being careless when guests were to come over. “I think you will both be pleased to hear that many of our guests today are from our neighboring countries.” 

Link isn’t sure why that would please him. All that it meant for him was that there was potential for even more of a language barrier. Wonderful. Zelda and Traysi would both be excited, as they loved new people and experiences. Aliza seemed as though she, just like Link, would rather have stayed in bed this morning, perhaps for different reasons, though.

Fixing his tie one more time, Link readied himself for the worst.


	2. A Silent Prayer

It wasn’t long before people started trailing into their mansion in groups. Each new group brought with them clothing in styles and colors that Link had never seen before. His mouth agape, Link thought that surely these people must have come from very far lands indeed. As they passed by, a few young ladies dressed in shades of pale pink looked at him and smiled; in turn, he nodded a little and the girls giggled. Looking over, Link shared a silent, knowing glance with Zelda. They both quickly turned their focus back on greeting the numerous guests their father had invited.

Due to Link’s wandering mind, it was easy to get lost in their faces, and Link’s thoughts floated elsewhere. Unable to stop his daydreams, he imagined how the girls that had giggled would react when they found out he was mute. He sighed, as he knew that they would most likely spare him a look of pity before moving on. Hoping to himself that the day would go well, and he sent a small prayer up to Hylia above that he would not make a total fool of himself. Link didn’t believe much in gods, but now seemed as good a time as any to start.

Suddenly, a presence caught Link’s eye. He turned to look as a family, dressed in brilliant maroon, walked through the curved entryway. Their clothing was bright and hard to miss. In their group walked the most handsome man Link had ever seen. His hair, long and bright like flames, blew behind him. The man’s coat tales where quite long, but other than that, he was not dressed so differently than Link was accustomed to. Next to the man, walked a girl, dressed similarly, who Link decided must be the man’s sister. Judging by their clothing and mannerism, Link thought the family must not be from very far.

The man caught Link staring, before Link had even realized it himself, and gave a small wink. Looking away, Link’s face flushed red. Hearing a giggle from the side, he knew that Zelda had encountered this entire exchange, but he refused to look and further his embarrassment. It seemed to Link his prayer to not make a fool of himself had landed on deaf ears.

As the rest of the guests continued to trickle in, Link kept his eyes squarely on his feet. Although he was not surprised that he had already managed to embarrass himself today, he was a little surprised that Traysi had not made a comment about it yet. She prided herself on gossiping and drama. In fact, she would occasionally write for the newspaper in a section called “Rumor Mill”. Needless to say, Traysi did not shy away from pointing out other people’s flaws and her little brother got no exception.

Soon it was time for lunch with all of their guests. There were several tables in their dining room and each person was meticulously seated closest to the people that would likely have the most in common with themselves.

Zelda, who sat directly to Link’s left, leaned over and whispered “Good thing father enjoys showing off his wealth, otherwise we would not be able to feed all of these people.” Link chuckled. She was joking of course, but it was impossible to help but hear the hint of pride in her voice.

_Be careful with your boasting_ Link replied. _Or someone might get the wrong idea._ She shot him a dirty look, and he just laughed again.

His laughter was quickly cut short when he realized that directly across from him, the gorgeous man from before sat down. He appeared, to Link, even more stunning from this distance. Zelda elbowed Link a little to stop him staring again. That was a habit he needed to kick and fast. Fidgeting with his tie, Link couldn’t help but think how important this man and his family must be if they were sitting at the same table as his family. To the man’s left sat his sister, and to his right sat his parents.

When asked to introduce himself, the man said curtly, “My name is Sidon. It is a pleasure to meet all of you.” Link thought he would be sick from how sweetly Sidon’s voice echoed in his ears. He quickly got over this ailment, however when he saw the first course (a cucco broth with vegetables), his stomach growling loudly. Thankful for the food, Link quickly dug in and ignored the polite conversations that were going on around him. The food was delicious as always.

“Excuse me, my friend, what is your name?” a voice questioned, pulling Link out of his own mind. Looking up, he realized that it was Sidon that had spoken, and was now looking at him expectantly for an answer.

Link slowly put his silverware down in the proper fashion. Hands twitching, he responded, _I’m Link._

“He says his name is Link,” Zelda translated out of habit, used to years of introducing her brother to strangers that didn’t know sign language.

Sidon smiled a little. “Thank you very much for the explanation, but I do know sign language. My sister is deaf you see, so I am quite familiar. It’s wonderful to make your acquaintance,” he stated politely while bowing his head slightly. The words tunneled in Link’s mind and made him dizzy. He felt nauseous once more, and looked for someway to escape the interaction he somehow found himself in.

_Excuse me_ , he quickly signed and stood, booking it out of their oversized dining hall. All but running, Link made his way through the twisting hallways to the nearest bathroom. Once inside, he took a few deep breaths, and wondered what had happened to him. He had never met a person before who made him react like that. Sure, he had his fair share of awkward encounters with people he wanted nothing more than to run away from. But this felt different. For some reason, Link wanted to talk with this man, but still his stomach felt like it was swirling. He blushed realizing that Sidon must have wanted to talk to him too, if he had asked Link to introduce himself.

He combed his fingers through his bangs instinctively trying to decide upon his next course of action. They would likely be eating at least 7 courses, so there was still time for him to return to the luncheon. However, it might be uncomfortable to return now, unless he had a good excuse. At the same time, he would be in a lot of trouble with his father if he did not return and socialize at lease a little bit with the guests. In an attempt to ground himself, Link splashes some water on his face.

Suddenly there is an aggressive knock on the door that caused the wooden frame to shake a little. Link hesitantly opened the door to a very angry Zelda.

“What do you think you are doing?” she half asked, half scolded. When she saw the distant look on Link’s face, she softened a little, but did not lose all of her wrath. “If you like him, you should just talk to him.”

_I can’t,_ he responded, lowering his head. He gripped nervously at the front of his shirt, tugging his collar slightly.

Zelda sighed. “You know Traysi has been out there talking to him nonstop since you left.” Link lifted his head wide-eyed. “She must have seen how you like him. It’s so obvious. But I suppose he is a very attractive man, so she must be interested as well.”

_Then let her court him_ , Link signed with little passion, already giving up any chance he might have had with Sidon. If Traysi wanted something, she would get it, and Link did not feel like fight with her today.

“Link, you have never felt this way upon first meeting someone before, correct?” Zelda probed.

_No, never._

“Then you absolutely must not give up so easily.” Zelda gently grabbed Link’s hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze. She was right of course, Link realized. He should put up a fight for someone that seems so special, at least until he can sort out his own feelings. Besides, he liked the idea of making things harder for Traysi, if only temporarily.

“You know, you didn’t look as foolish as you probably think you did,” Zelda reassured Link. It did make him feel better, and he thought perhaps his prayer earlier today had not been a total waste. “We will just tell them you were feeling a bit ill and needed to use the restroom”

Link gingerly pulled his hands away. _Let’s go back,_ he signed,  a smile curving his lips and courage returning to his heart. Zelda smiled back even larger and adjusted Link’s tie that had gone crooked in this entire mess. She pulled him out of the bathroom, they walked down the corridors, hand in hand, and when they were in front of the dining hall’s doors Zelda stopped.

“Are you ready?” Link nodded curtly. “And you realize Traysi will not be happy about this, yes?” He nodded again, knowing how Traysi defensive could be when she felt like she was being challenged. Talking to a man she was interested in would definitely come across to her as a challenge. “Ok, then let’s go.”

They opened the doors to the dining hall and walked in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost titled this chapter "Livin' On a Prayer", but I thought that might be a little bit much lol. Hope you all enjoyed!


	3. Excitement and Dread

Link and Zelda walked through the dining hall, passing countless tables of people and avoiding their gazes. Nervously, Links wrung his hands, then forced them to stay at his sides. As they approached their own table, it became obvious that Traysi was eagerly talking to Sidon. Link thought that they looked happy conversing with each other. When they reached their seats, Zelda sat gracefully; Link sat much less gracefully, but he forced himself to sit nonetheless. 

A brief glare from Lord Hyrule was all Link needed to understand how much trouble he was in for leaving so suddenly. Knowing how his father has a bit of a temper, Link would need to be on his best behavior to make up for this mishap. 

“Are you alright?” Sidon asked, concern marring his handsome face. Link nodded and smiled sweetly, deciding to turn on the charm. Turning to look at Traysi, who looked more than displeased, Link smiled even more sweetly. He knew it was a low blow, but Traysi was not known to play nice. 

“Oh that’s wonderful! I was concerned when you left so suddenly, my friend,” Sidon continued. His words seemed to echo through Link’s mind. 

_ I’m sorry. I wasn’t feeling well,  _ Link slowly responded, blushing. Had this man he just meet truly called him a friend? Sidon wasn’t just any man either. He was the most beautiful man Link had ever seen. 

Lunch continued on pleasantly (all of the food was delicious, of course), and although Link mostly stayed quiet, he greatly enjoyed the company and conversation. Traysi was, of course, doing her best to hold the entirety of Sidon’s attention. Before he knew it, lunch had ended. The guests trickled out, the same as they had come in. Absently, Link watched the ornate fabric of their company’s clothing brush the ground delicately.

“Would you care to go for a stroll this afternoon?” Traysi asked Sidon, as she seemed to teleport to his side. She cast a sideways glance at Link to see his reaction, but he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of his emotions.

“Ah, of course!” Sidon responded. Heart sinking, Link repressed tears that were begging to be set free. Perhaps Sidon truly was interested in Traysi, and Link felt downtrodden. 

As they started to walk away, Sidon turned back and made eye contact with Link. Suddenly, with a smirk on his face, Sidon looked around to make sure no one else was watching, and then he dropped a piece of folded paper on the floor and continued walking. Without a second thought, Link snatched the paper up, stuffed it in his pocket for later, and smiled to himself.

Traysi would not be happy about that either.

“Link, could you meet me in my office?” a voice behind him articulated. It had come from his father, and it was not a question. Knowing what trouble he was in, the rock in the bottom of Link’s stomach returned. Zelda put a sympathetic hand on Link’s shoulder before she left.

Walking quietly to his father’s office, Link wondered what was written on the paper Sidon had dropped. He hoped the note contained a proclamation of Sidon’s interest in Link, or at least Sidon’s disinterest in Traysi. Sighing, he put his fist on his father’s door and knocked.

“Come in.” Link pushed the door open and closed it behind himself. He stayed right where he was, not daring to go any closer to his obviously peeved father..

“Link, what happened?” Lord Hyrule was facing out the window behind his polished wooden desk. The window overlooked the courtyard, and it was consequently the Lord’s favorite view of his own wealth. 

Link looked at his feet. His father was facing away from him knowing he could not speak, and Link realized this would be less of a conversation and more of a lecture.

“First you get up late. It is predictably behavior from you, but I was still disappointed. You knew how important our guests today are.” Lord Hyrule clasped his hands behind his back. Out of the window, Link could see that the sky looked cloudy, as though a storm was brewing. “But then, you ran out of our lunch, causing a scene.” He sighed. “Perhaps you do not understand how important this is. The family we were sitting with at lunch are the Rutas.”

That name sounded important, and Link knew he should know who the Rutas are, but he could not place the name. The only thing he could think about was that he now knew Sidon’s last name was Ruta. Finally Lord Hyrule turned around, and upon seeing the blank look on Link’s face, he rubbed his temples in annoyance.

“They are the royal family of the Zora Province, our most important trade partners. Do you now understand the gravity of this situation?”

Link nodded, hurriedly. He quickly realized that making a good impression on their family was of this utmost importance, not only for their family but for the entirety of Central Hyrule. If their stay here was unsatisfactory, there was a chance the Rutas would refuse to do business with Central Hyrule, which could mean financial disaster. Everything was starting to make sense to Link, and his stomach hopped up into his throat. This also meant that Sidon was the Prince of a very important Province.

“So, I want you to do something for me. Tomorrow night, we will be having a soiree, and we will be needing some entertainment. I would like you to dance for us, to show the Rutas that our family is not uncultured,” Lord Hyrule finally finished, sitting down behind his desk.

_ But father I haven’t danced since... _ Link couldn’t bear to finish his sentence. Years before, Link loved to dance and perform for people. He felt that was the only way that he could express how he was feeling. When he was dancing, he felt like his body was speaking in a more complicated version of sign language. The last time Link danced was the day his mother died, and after that, he swore he would never dance again. It had been a little over a year since the passing of his mother now, but it never stopped hurting.

“I know, son, but I need you to do this,” the Lord’s demeanor softened somewhat. He understood Link’s reservations, but would still demand this thing of him. 

_ Ok, father,  _ Link eventually answered. He knew this was something he had to do, and there would be no avoiding it now that his father had directly asked. Although patient, Lord Hyrule had no tolerance for disobedience. 

After being dismissed by his father, Link shuffled through the hallways back to his room. He would have a lot of work to do in order to get ready for tomorrow’s soiree, and the thought already exhausted him. Plopping on his bed, he remembered the paper that Sidon had dropped, and he shoved his hand in his pocket, whipping the paper out.  

Closing his eyes, he slowly unfolded the paper, scared to look at it’s contents. After what felt like an eternity, Link opened his eyes.

“Meet me by the big tree in the courtyard after the sun goes down.” Link’s heart leapt. He read the note over and over again to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. Sidon wanted to see him. Link clutched the note over his heart, feeling more full of joy than he had the entire day. 

He got out of bed, shuffled over to his dresser, and pulled his journal out from its hiding place underneath his pants. Grabbing a pen from his bedside table, Link cracked open his journal and began to write the first words that came to his mind. 

 

“The sun radiates, burning

A deep and desperate flame

A self contained explosion

All eclipsed by your grace”

 

Scoffing at his own romantics, Link tore the page out of his journal and stuffed it into his pocket alongside Sidon’s note. He couldn't stop smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are really started to get going now! What do you all think? I think I've finally planned most of the major events that happen until the end of the story.
> 
> Thank you all so much for your support so far, and thanks to my bonsai tree for always being there! :)


End file.
